Week 17 marked the end of the NFL regular season, with the New Orleans Saints ending it on a high note by demolishing the Carolina Panthers 42-10. The Saints have been clicking on all fronts during their recent games, and are peaking at just the right time. The 32-point lead the Saints held over the Panthers was the largest margin in team history. Defensively, New Orleans held All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey in check all afternoon. All signs are pointing in the right direction for this team as they head into the playoffs.
While there were plenty of highlights from the game, there were a few performances from Saints players that they would like to have back. Here our three studs, and two duds from Sunday afternoon’s game.
STUD: Alvin Kamara, running back
Kamara has not looked himself after missing time with a few injuries earlier this season, but that changed against the Panthers this week. His statline of 39 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and two receptions for 18 yards may not be that impressive, but it doesn’t tell the entire story.
Kamara’s elusiveness and balance through contact has allowed him to be one of the hardest players to tackle in the league. He has been missing his “it factor” for weeks, but we saw a flash of it last week, and his skills were on brighter display in Week 17. He bounced off of defenders and shed a few tackles, starting to look like his old self. Furthermore, his two touchdowns on the day doubled his season total. Kamara is returning to form at just the right time for New Orleans, as the team now has a daunting, but beatable path ahead of them in the playoffs.
STUD: Tre’Quan Smith, wide receiver
All season long, the Saints offense has been missing a complimentary wide receiver opposite of Michael Thomas. Smith’s inconsistency has been a frustrating part of that problem. But in a game where the league leader in receptions and receiving yards was kept quiet, Smith was able to step up and into a larger role in the offense.
Brees found Smith five times, gaining 56 yards and scoring a touchdown. Five receptions don’t seem like much, but they’re worth noting considering no other Saints wide receiver has caught that many since Ted Ginn Jr. reeled in seven passes back in Week 1. In fact, no other receiver not named Thomas has not caught more than three passes since that season-opener with the Texans. If Smith can continue producing and fostering trust with Brees, he could be a dark horse come the playoffs.
STUD: Jared Cook, tight end
The tight end appeared to be missing in action for most of the first half of the game on Sunday. His presence wasn’t necessarily needed during that portion of the game, as others stepped up, but nominal backup Josh Hill was playing more often than him. However, late in the second quarter, Brees was able to thread the needle a big gain of 23 yards down the seam and then a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cook. The big receiver was able to leap up and make a breathtaking, one-handed catch to secure the score.
Cook ended the day with two receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Similar to Kamara, that muted statline does not tell the entire story. Cook took a while to find his footing in the offense this season, and now he has become one of the Saints’ most potent weapons, a true difference maker. He is a matchup nightmare, and could position himself into being the key to New Orleans’ postseason.
DUD: Michael Thomas, wide receiver
It feels weird listing Thomas as a “dud” after watching him break the record for most receptions in a single season, and ending the year with the most catches and receiving yards in the NFL. But his four catches for 37 yards and zero touchdowns on nine targets were a let-down against a Panthers defense that gave up 35 points in the first half alone. It speaks to how well the other Saints receivers played that his off-day didn’t matter.
It is quite possible that Thomas’ workload was reduced as the game went on and the lead became comfortable. Thomas had also been dealing with a hand injury all week leading into the game that could have played a factor into his performance. In either case, the MVP-caliber wide receiver was noticeably unproductive. However, there should be little concern about Thomas heading into the playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings during the wild card round.
DUD: Seattle Seahawks, choke artists
Sure, the game looked pretty out of hand by halftime, when the San Francisco 49ers led the Seahawks 13-0 and Seattle looked flat. Then came the fourth quarter, and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s time to shine. A comeback ensued, but was cut short after to a pass interference non-call against the 49ers ended a possible game-winning drive for Seattle.
But, not all hope was lost. With 23 seconds left in the game, and the Seahawks on the 49ers 1-yard line, down by five, Seattle took a delay of game penalty. Inches away from victory, the offense committed a mental error which affected up to four different team’s playoff scenarios. Seattle could not get the job done, and now the Saints are the third seed, and will host the Vikings in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome next Sunday afternoon.
